Breitling’s Super Chronomat, an 80s classic gets a beefy update for 2021

Last year, the Breitling Super Chronomat, a macho aviation tool watch was revived after nearly three decades. It’s back again for a 2021 update and boy, it looks chunky.

Safe to say, the Breitling Super Chronomat perfectly personifies the expression of being ‘large and in-charge’. And ass the brand stated in their release “It’s a watch you’ll get noticed in, without having to worry about it”, that hefty 44-mm case certain comes with some weight and command. Such was the impression at its initial debut too when Breitling collaborated with Frecce Tricolori, the Italian Air Force’s aerobatics team. In an era where skinny digital watches were taking over, Breitling came forth with an audaciously large aviation accessory which later became a brand-defining aesthetic till the early 2000s. After which, they decided to tone down this military aggression with their timepieces and focus on smoother, heritage pieces.

Nearly 35 years later, they fused these bipolar emotions of watching into an updated Super Chronomat, which we saw last year. For 2021, they’ve added some new features to the mix including a moon-phase and an unusual Breitling four-year calendar. Check it out.

Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44, Super Chronomat 44 Four-Year Calendar

The updated range comes forth in two variants: The B01 44 and a super-special 44 Four-Year Calendar. The former comes in a trio of colours, while the latter, just two. We can say that the range stays true to its 1984 design and you can truly sense the nostalgic aviation with its design, it’s been retained very well. What’s interesting is that with a case that sizes 44-mm, the bezels are made of stainless steel but with a ceramic insert. Which is certainly refreshing to see on the Breitling Super Chronomat line. In terms of straps, you have the choice of choosing between a Rouleaux-inspired rubber strap or Breitling’s iconic metal strap that comes with a butterfly clasp, in case you want that extra touch of 80s aviation. All these pieces have been crafted with a state-of-the-art injection moulding technique, this allows it to come in three textures: matte, slick and woven.

Let’s talk about the B01 44 first. With three variants: Two of which are cased in stainless steel with blue or black dial-and-bezel combinations. While the third is a rich brown dial-and-bezel combo, cased out of 18k red gold. With an automatic Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 underneath that boasts roughly 70 hours of power reserve, we see a COSC-certified 12-hour chronograph up top. There’s also a bonus feature if you opt for the B01 44 with a black dial. Take a look at its Rouleaux bracelet, you’ll see a Universal Time Coordinated-module embedded. This is actually a Breitling spec that dates back to the wild 80s, it allowed wearers to keep an eye on a second time-zone.

Moving on to the main attraction, the 44 Four-Year Calendar. Even though its 44-mm case might look hefty, I could say that Breitling have managed to make this one look quite stylish. More so, it’s jam-packed with complications. It features a semi-perpetual calendar that needs correction just once every leap year, or every 1461 days. In terms of variants, you get to choose between a black dial with tone-on-tone chronograph counters, a stainless-steel bezel with a black ceramic bezel insert and 18 karat red gold case. The timepiece is powered by Breitling’s Caliber 19 that powers a COSC-certified chronograph movement, a semi-perpetual calendar and a moon phase. Expect a 42 hour power reserve with this one.

Pricing for the B01 44 begins at $8500 (Rs 6.2 lakh) with its top-spec, 18K gold UTC module variant slating in at $35,000 (Rs 25 lakh). On the other hand, the Super Chronomat 44 Four-Year Calendar begins at  $14,600 (Rs 10 lalk)  and goes up to $17,250 (Rs 12,6 lakh).

All images: Courtesy brand